Regulator valve



Feb. 10, li942. 1 M, PERYsQNs I 2,272,250

REGULATOR VALVE Filed July 1. 1940 rro @Msn f UNITED vsm-rias mirri-:Nr`4 ioFFlci-:b

' 2,212,250 REGULA'ron vALvE Lawren M. St. Louis County, Mo., as- I signor to Automatic .Control Corporation, St.;A

Louis, Mo., a corporation o! Delaware 'application my 1, 1940, serial No. 343,461 's rms. (ci. 23e-9 2) The present invention relates to a solid-charge thermally controlled valve. More particularly 'it nds its use on refrigeration systemswherein the valve is controlled vboth by pressure and by.

temperature. Heretofore, efforts to employ ,solid-charge thermostat mechanisms have failed rparticularly the provision of a solid-charge thermostat including an adjustable chamber which may expand in response to pressure changes, and the capacity of which maybe adjusted.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of .the device;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-.2

21 and the Harige-24 to urge the valve 22 against its seat.

The 'valve body contains three spaced openings in which three pins 3l reciprocate and are guided. These pins rest upon the top of the ange 24 of the valve and at their upper ends abut a cap 32 that may reciprocate and be guided in a opening 33 within the valve body le.

The upper part of the valve body le is preferably circular and is grooved to provide an overhanging shoulder 34. An expansion chamber 35 is formed by a relatively rigid cup-like member 3S and a cup-like diaphragm Y element 3l which ts desirably within the member 36 and is adapted to be contiguous thereto throughout. The walls ofthe member 38 and the element 3l are sealed together near the open edges, and

these edges are peened over at $8- around the` iiange 34 of the body inember I6. The centers of the members 36 and'I 3l are depressed slightly as at 39 to engage in a corresponding depression in the cap 82, so that the latter does not slip.

Between the lower part --of the .diaphragm ber 38 is an expansion chamber 40. A passage of Fig. l; and, @i puts the chamber et in communication with Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3--3 the outlet 2l. v of Fig. 2. A capillary tube 63 extends through one cor- The usual refrigeration system as herein pertinent includes coils It, a compressor Il, and an expansion valve l2, .which here .embodies the present invention. The compressor is thermostatically started andstopped by a thermostat including a bulb I3 located inthe space to be cooled. The refrigerant is forced by the compressor through the expansion valve and int'o the coils, whence it returns to the compressor.

The expansion valve here includes a bodyi4 having a threaded inlet I5. From Vthe inlet there leads a passage i6 to the upper section il of a valve chamber The valve chamber has avalve .seat I8 anda lower chamber I8. Outlet passages 2t lead to a threaded outlet 2 l.

There is a tapered valve 22 adapted to seat I on the seat I8. This valve ,is on a stem 23 that ner of the cup-like member t6 and opens into the expansion chamber 35. `This capillary tube has a bulb at the end thereof disposed adjacent the coils l0.

A spacing ring S8 engages on the outside of the cup-like member 38 and over the flange of the body member i4. At its upper end there is fitted a second relatively rigid cup-like member over a corresponding depression in the members` The upper' surface ci tl and for guidance. the portion 5@ is cut, out to receive the ,lower end of a spring 56, the other end of which bearsl against acap 5l adjustably threaded into the upper end of the circular opening E2. This cap has a center opening-t8 to receive and guide j the plunger 58.2K also at'lts upper end has al Y handle 5B having a pointer 58v engaging withpocket` graduations Si. Rotation oi.' the die dis.

places the cap 51 upwardly or downwardly, as the case may be, and varies the pressure of the spring 56 upon the diaphragm element 43.

The operation of the device is as follows:

During the normal cycle, it will be assumed that the compressor is operating. There will, therefore, be a high pressure condition (assume 120#) at the inlet I5, -which pressure lowers at the expansion valve 22 and is, therefore, low

(assume 25#) in the outlet 2|. Correspondingly, the pressure within the pressure chamber 40 is low. Under this condition, the upper spring 56 will have forced liquid from the expansion chamber 49 through the tube 50 to the expansion chamber 35, so that the diaphragm 31 is moved downwardly, which by means of the cap 32 and pins 3| maintains the 'valve displaced from its seat. It will thus be seen that the upper spring 56 is stiffer than the lower spring 29.

Thereafter, when the temperature of the coils I reaches a predetermined low value, the liquid within the bulb 44 will contract. Under the infiuence ci the springs, additional liquid from the chambers i9 and 35 will be forced out into the capillary tube 43 and into the bulb 44. This reduces the size ofthe expansion chamber 35 so that the spring 28 throttles down the valve 22,

Y and reduces the ow of refrigerant into the coils.

When the bulb I3 reaches a predetermined minimum temperature for which the compressor thermostat is set, it will cause the compressor to be shut off. The-high pressure liquid up to the valve seat I8 will then pass through the valve and the pressure on the low side of the valve tends to build up. As this takes place, this increased pressure acts through the passage 4| into the pressure chamber v40 and at a predetermined value (perhaps above operating temperature) forces the diaphragm element 31 upwardly. The liquid within the expansion chamber 35 is incompressible, but it is forced out through the tube 50 into the upper `chamber 49. As this pressure on the low side of the valve coupled with that of the spring 29, exceeds the force of the spring 56, the plunger 33 will be forced upwardly by this increase of pressure within the pressure chamber 4|! and will cause displacement of the fluid from the chamber 35 to the chamber 49. The action permits the expansion valve to close, regardless of the temperature of the bulb 4d.

Upon warming of the coils |U after the system has been inactive, the liquid in the bulb, I3 expands. This will cause the compressor to start, but at normal setting does not cause the valve to open. There follows a reduction of pressure on the low side'of the valve, whereupon the spring 56 forces more uid into the expansion chamber 4t, and opens the valve. Later, as previously noted, the valve is throttled as the coils begin to cool, and modulated, by action of the liquid in the bulb 44 andthe expansion chambers.

Adjustment of the handle 59 alters the pressure applied to the valve, and changes the pressure of operation at the outlet end. If the pressure of the spring is increased and a correspondingly higher outlet pressure is required to hold the valve open, there will result higher pressure and temperature of operation of the system. This will cause the refrigerant to travel further before expansion or boiling ceases, so that the ultimate limit thereof may include all of the coils i0, thereby increasing the emciency of the system.- A lowering of 'the pressure of the spring 5B. in like manner lowers the outlet pressure' and lowers the temperature of the refrigerant leaving the expansion valve, and causes boiling of the refrigerant to occur sooner, so that it may be completed sooner. This enables the refrigeration to be limited to the coils (or part of them), and enables avoidance of extending the refrigeration into the return line or even to the compressor itself.

And from the foregoing, it may be seen that the bulb 44, and the thermal liquid may likewise prevent extension of the refrigeration into the return line and compressor. Usually the bulb 44 is located adjacent the last coil, and when the cold thereat exceeds a value at which its heat absorbing capacity might continue with it into the return line, the liquid in the bulb contracts and causes the expansion valve to be throttled, to avoid the undesirable result.

The upper expansion chamber 49 need not be fixed, as by the ring 46, to the lower. The tube 50 is'iiexible,v and maybe made any suitable length for a desired set-up, such as with the upper chamber 46 at a remoteV convenient place.

It will be seen that there has been provided a valve subject to temperature and pressure changes, and which employs a solid-charge in so doing. There has been provided a thermal device with a reservoir to take any excess thermal iiuid, after the main expansion chamber has reached the limit of its expansion permitted under the given conditions, and which reservoir is4 so governed that it does not prevent normal expansion of the expansion chamber.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device of the kind described, a valve housing, a valve chamber in the housing, a valve therein, a diaphragm secured across a part of the housing, a cover over the diaphragm and sealed thereto about the edges. said diaphragm and housing providing a pressure chamber. a passage in the housing connecting the pressure chamber with the valve chamber, the cover and the diaphragm forming a rst expansion chamber, a tube connected into said ilrst expansion chamber, support means on the valve housing,

a second expansion chamber on the support means, pressure means resisting expansion thereof, means connecting the two expansion chambers, and an expansible iluid entirely illling the two expansion chambers, the connecting means, and the tube.

2. In a device of the kind described, a valve chamber with the valve chamber, the cover and the diaphragm forming a first expansion chamber, a tube connected into said iirst expansion chamber, support means comprising a cylindrical frame secured to the valve housing around the edges of the cover, and a second expansion chamber on said support, said second expansion chamber comprising a diaphragm and a cover. means connecting the two expansion chambers, and an expansible huid entirely filling the two expaision chambers, the connecting means, and the 3. In a device of thekind described, a valve housing, a. valve chamber therein, a valve in the chamber, relatively weak yieldable means urging the valve in one direction, a diaphragm across the valve housing and with the housing.

providing a pressure chamber, means establishing communication between the pressure chamber and the valve chamber, means connecting the diaphragm with the valveI said yieldable means being adapted to urge the connecting means against the diaphragm, a cover means secured to the housing, and enclosing the diaphragm to form a rst expansion chamber, a cylindrical frame around thecover and extending from the housing, a second cover in the cylindrical frame, l0

a second diaphragm within the second cover providing a second expansion chamber, yieldable means adapted to compress the second expansion chamber, means to adjustv the said yieldable means, communication means between the two expansion chambers, a bulb connected with one expansion chamber, and a fluid filling the bulb, the twovexpansion` chambers and the communication means.

' LAWRENCE M. PERSONS. 

